IRAA Committee 2026

Anil Chopra - Founder & Chairman of IRAA

Anil Chopra serves as Chairman of the IRAA Awards and holds the position of Senior Consultant for the PALM AV-ICN Expo portfolio organised by Informa Markets India. He is the visionary founder behind several landmark industry initiatives, including PALM Expo and PALM Conference, AV-ICN Expo and AV-ICN Summit, Music Expo, IRAA, PALM Sound & Light Awards, and PALM DJ Championship, all of which are now part of the Informa Markets India portfolio.

His pioneering contributions to the industry began in 1986 with the establishment of India's first professional audio magazine, Playback & Fast Forward, which has since evolved and is now published as PALM Expo Magazine. Additionally, he founded and served as Publisher and Editor of Studio Systems in 1993, recognized as India's inaugural professional video and broadcast magazine. Through these ventures, he has consistently demonstrated his commitment to advancing the professional audio-visual industry in India and establishing platforms that celebrate excellence and innovation within the sector.

Smita Rai - IRAA Vice Chairman

Smita Rai serves as Vice Chairman of the Indian Recording Arts Academy (IRAA) Awards, where she leads the comprehensive management of the awards program from conceptualization through execution. Her responsibilities encompass category finalization, nomination management and segregation, jury coordination, and oversight of the final winner selection process. Additionally, she manages strategic partnerships with sponsors, nominees, and industry collaborators.

In her capacity as Deputy Project Director of the PALM AV-ICN Expo, Smita serves as Content Head, overseeing all content-related initiatives of the expo including Magazines, Awards Programs, Conferences, and Training modules. She directs the editorial and advertising operations for both PALM Expo and AV-ICN Expo magazines while serving as Conference Director for the PALM and AV-ICN Conference Programmes.

She has extensive experience in media and communications, holding academic credentials in Media Criticism and Journalism from the University of Cincinnati.

Vijay Benegal - IRAA Director

Vijay Benegal is an Eminent Recording & Mix Engineer and Co-Founder, OdBIe Consultants.

Vijay Benegal's career as an independent Sound Engineer has spanned close to three decades with experience on diverse sound recording and mixing projects for radio, films, television, and music albums. Artists he has recorded for include Ustad Zakir Hussain, Indus Creed, Shankar Mahadevan, Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, Vishal-Shekhar, Ranjit Barot, and many more. Film recording projects have included album and background scores for Dil Chahta Hai, Lakshya, Armaan, Kaante, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara and others. He is also a Live Sound Engineer having worked with local and international artists such as Kailash Kher, Indus Creed, Slash, Niladri Kumar, Steve Smith, Louiz Banks, Dave Holland, Chris Potter and other luminaries. Vijay is currently touring with Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy as well as Ustad Zakir Hussain's Cross Currents.